פרשת תזריע תשל"א - נגע הצרעת

אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו, none of the verses in the chapters about blemishes on human skin, stains on clothing and manifestations of “mildew” or something similar breaking forth from the walls of houses - their appearance, the count of their quarantine and the white, black and yellow hairs - lend themselves to understanding according to the simple meaning of Scripture. Nor is it given to our expertise about the nature (bekiut derekh erets) of people. The only criteria which we can apply to what is spelled out in these chapters 12-15 are those laid down by our sages of the Midrash, the Talmud, etc, all of which date back to the instructions received orally from Moses.

בהיותם כואבים, according to the nature (derekh erets) of people [after such an operation]; and according to the plain meaning of the text, the meaning is that they had been in pain during the first and second day after the circumcision, and they were now in even greater pain,

אשר יבא עליו מים יטמא, those who wish to find a reason for G’d’s commandments in order to confound the heretics, and in order to make them intelligible in terms of the laws of nature (derekh erets), would do well to consider this piece of legislation. Foodstuffs, originating in the earth, though subject to ritual impurity under certain conditions, are free from even potential impurity as long as they have not been in contact with water The first step in preparing earth grown food is to wash it, etc. Therefore, as long as no water has fallen on such potential food it is free from such impurity or potential impurity. [Water which fell on it against the wishes of its owner does not count. Ed.]

ועל שפם יעטה, “and he shall cover his upper lip.” This is to stop bad smell coming forth from his mouth which might affect people negatively.

בדד ישב, “he must dwell in isolation;” he must not have marital relations, as doing this would cause rot. (Talmud, Moed Katan, folio 7)

(1) The commandment of the matter of the impurity of a metsora: To make a man that is metsora (has a type of skin disease) impure - meaning to say that it is a commandment upon us that anyone who is a metsora come to the priest to ask about his tsaraat, and the priest will render him impure or render him pure; and he will act according to the written Torah, as the priest will command him; and he should not take the thing as an illness that comes by chance, but rather put his [mind] to it and know that the greatness of his iniquity caused it...

(3) It is from the roots of the commandment to fix in our hearts that the providence of God, blessed be He, is individualized upon everyone among people, and that His eyes are observing all of their ways, as it is written (Job 34:21), 'For His eyes are upon a man’s ways; all of his steps He sees." And therefore, he warned us to put our [minds] to this bad illness, and to think that it is sin that caused it - and as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Arakhin 16b) that it generally comes from evil speech, and we should not take it [as being] by way of happenstance. And we need to come to the priest, who is the one that is ready [to effect] the atonement of sinners. And in the company of the one who atones, maybe he will contemplate repentance. And he is put in quarantine for a few days, in order that he put his matters into his heart with deliberation, and examine his deeds (Berakhot 5a). And sometimes he is put into two [consecutive] quarantines, lest he contemplated repentance, but not complete full repentance. It is as if you would say by way of illustration, that he thought to return half of his robbery; and then God, blessed be He, renewed some of the signs that he should be quarantined a second time - perhaps he will complete his repentance and purify himself completely.

(4) And the whole matter of these quarantines indicates His providence, blessed be He, on all the ways of man - one by one. And because the opinions are many about the providence of God upon all of his creatures, many verses in Scripture and many commandments come about it, to instruct about the matter - given that it is a cornerstone in our Torah. As there are groups of people that think that the providence of God, may He be blessed, is [individualized upon all of the species - whether people or all other animals. And there are groups that think that the providence of God, blessed be He, is] upon all the matters of the world - whether animals or all other things - meaning to say that no small thing in the world moves without His will, blessed be He, and His decree; to the point that they think regarding the falling of one leaf from a tree, [that] He decreed about it that it should fall, and [so] it is impossible that the time of its falling be even a second later or earlier. And this opinion is very removed from the intellect. And there are evil groups that think that His providence, blessed be He, is not put upon any matters of this lowly world at all - whether upon people or other animals. And this is the opinion of the heretics - it is evil and bitter. And we who have the correct opinion, according to what I have heard, place His generalized providence, blessed be He, upon all the species of animals, such that each and every species that was created in the world, survive in the world - [that] it not completely finish and be lost - as with His providence does everything find existence in the world. But with the human species, we believe that His providence, blessed be He, is upon each and every one individually, and He is 'the One who understands about all of their deeds.' And so [too,] have we received from all of our great ones; and there are also many verses that instruct that the matter is so. And therefore, the Torah warned us that when this bad illness - and that is tsaraat - reach a man, he should not take it [as being] by way of happenstance. Rather, he should immediately think that his iniquities caused [it]. And he should distance himself from the company of people, like a man who is distanced due to the evil of his deeds. And he should associate with the one who can atone - the one who can heal the fracture of the sin - and show his ailment to him. And through his counsel and through his words, and through the examination of his deeds, the ailment will be removed from him - since God, blessed be He, who constantly watches him, will see the act of his repentance and heal him. And this matter is the matter of the quarantines, as we said.

MISHNA: When symptoms of leprosy appear, they must be examined by a priest, who determines whether or not the symptoms qualify as leprosy. Rabbi Meir says: A priest may initially examine an individual showing symptoms of leprosy on the intermediate days of a Festival in order to be lenient, i.e., he may pronounce the individual to be free of leprosy, but not in order to be stringent; he may not pronounce the individual to be impure. The individual does not become ritually impure until the priest pronounces him to have leprosy, and therefore the priest may remain silent and thereby prevent causing the afflicted individual distress during the Festival.

And so too it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “But on the day it appears in him” (Leviticus 13:14), from which it may be inferred that there is a day when you examine the symptoms found in him and there is a day when you do not examine those symptoms. From here they stated: With regard to a bridegroom upon whom leprous symptoms came into being, we give him the seven days of the wedding feast before the examination that determines ritual purity or impurity. This ruling applies whether the leprous symptoms appeared upon him, upon his house, or upon his clothing.